Wednesday, Jan 30 2013 2:51PM

Alaskan homeowners with water cisterns will still be permitted to obtain USDA RD housing assistance, the agency said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) has agreed to continue exempting Alaska from a rule that prevents the agency from providing housing funding for homes with water cisterns, according to Ketchikan radio station KRBD. 

Alaska has historically been exempted from this rule, as many homeowners in rural Alaska rely on water-catchment systems because they lack access to a city's water system services, the station explains. However, the USDA RD ended this exemption in 2012, putting many rural households with water cisterns in danger of being ineligible for affordable housing assistance.

Ketchikan real estate agent Mary Wanzer told the station that many first-time buyers with limited incomes rely on USDA financing due to the affordable terms and no down payment requirement. 

'If the waiver allows someone to finance a home that's on a roof catchment system, then it's huge for Ketchikan and it allows more people to get into affordable housing," Wanzer said. 

In disjointed and rural areas, such as Alaska, gaining access to utilities, such as heat and electricity, as well as city water and services can be challenging for many residents. As a result, many are forced to pay higher costs for these services or get creative about obtaining their water and living needs. Alaskan residents currently pay the highest utility bills in the country, despite the state's abundance of natural gas. 

For more information, check out this resource: Ketchikan KRBD FM